There are numerous threads on ebay.com, articles on ecommercebytes and videos on youtube with tips on how to rise to the top in Best Match search results. Some of them make sense, others may just be wishful thinking on the seller's behalf because you have to remember that every person searching is supposedly given different results.

And of course then you have to hope your listings actually make it into the search results. In the latest update to the US eBay User Agreement eBay stated that there was no guarantee that listings will even appear!

• We strive to create a marketplace where buyers find what they are looking for. Therefore, the appearance or placement of listings in search and browse results will depend on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to:

  • buyer's location, search query, browsing site, and history;

  • item's location, listing format, price and shipping cost, terms of service, end time, history, and relevance to the user query;

  • seller's history, Detailed Seller Ratings, and Feedback; and

  • number of listings matching the buyer's query.

    Accordingly, to drive a positive user experience, a listing may not appear in some search and browse results regardless of the sort order chosen by the buyer.